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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28636317">you put your arms around me (and i'm home)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ruinmysleep/pseuds/ruinmysleep'>ruinmysleep</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supergirl (TV 2015)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Identity Reveal, Kara is oblivious, Lena finds out, Lena is gay, One Shot, They Hug, i started this two and a half years ago please send help, obnoxiously so, short and sweet, this might have been done already i'm not really sure</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:02:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,761</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28636317</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ruinmysleep/pseuds/ruinmysleep</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Lena figures out Kara is Supergirl because she hugs Supergirl and the feeling is all too familiar.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kara Danvers &amp; Lena Luthor, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>477</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>you put your arms around me (and i'm home)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I have no idea if this has been done before or not, and honestly I started writing this in July of 2018 and never got around to finishing it, but here I am, finishing it. This doesn't really exist in any canon timelines, so just go with it. Hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What do you mean you’ve never seen Spice World?” </p><p>Lena laughs boisterously, throwing her hands up in fake surrender. Weekly brunch with Kara turned into biweekly brunch which turned into nights at Kara’s apartment, filled with wine and long conversations. If she is being honest, these nights are the highlight of her week. Knowing that, at the end of a particularly stressful day, she has someone to come home to rather than crashing at her desk at L-Corp, Lena is beyond grateful for these nights and looks forward to them each week.</p><p>This is not to say that Lena lives entirely in solitude. She has friends, like Sam, Kelly, even Alex, depending on the day. She likes to think that she and Supergirl are on friendly terms. However, there is no one in her life that she enjoys spending time with as much as Kara. There is no one that she laughs with more or feels more comfortable around. Because of this, Lena cherishes their time together, no matter how brief.</p><p>And Lena’s big, lesbian crush on her sure doesn’t help.</p><p>It has been growing, festering, for months now, and it has gotten to the point where Lena can no longer deny what is so blatantly obvious: she likes Kara. Like, <em> likes </em> her. A lot, really. It would almost be embarrassing if she wasn’t so hopelessly lost in her feelings.</p><p>Her denial hadn’t stemmed from doubts about her sexuality—her boarding school days had long since confirmed <em> that </em> aspect of herself long ago—but rather from the fact that she hadn’t planned on falling for her best friend. Her <em> straight </em> best friend. Her straight best friend who has never once expressed any interest in her, or any woman, for that matter. (The stereotypes are endless.) Which is why any time Lena finds herself getting a little <em> too </em> comfortable in Kara’s presence—typically after one too many drinks—or starts imagining what it would be like to kiss her, she finds herself making her escape.</p><p>“It’s getting late. I should probably head home,” Lena admits, begrudgingly.</p><p>She sees Kara nod understandingly and stands up, waiting for Kara to follow. Opening her arms, Lena smiles as Kara steps forwards and embraces her. This is a part of their friendship Lena won’t give up no matter how hard she falls for her best friend.</p><p>Every time she wraps her arms around Kara, Lena notices many things.</p><p>She notices Kara’s scent. The smell of her hair, her body. A mixture of citrus body wash, vanilla lotion, and something that she can never quite identify that is just the scent of <em> Kara. </em>It is unlike anything Lena has ever smelled before, and it brings her joy, knowing that she is just smelling the essence of Kara.</p><p>She notices the shape of their bodies. How her head rests comfortably on Kara’s shoulder. How she has to stand on her tiptoes to reach Kara’s height when she isn’t wearing heels. How her arms wrap around Kara, one around her shoulders, the other around her back. How the two of them just seem to <em> fit </em> together.</p><p>She notices the feel of Kara in her arms. The softness of Kara’s skin under her fingertips. The contrasting firmness of Kara’s whole body, knowing most of it is muscle. The strength of Kara’s arms tightly wrapped around her, as if she can squeeze tighter but is holding herself back.</p><p>In those few seconds during a hug, Lena notices all of these. She knows Kara in this intimate way that very few ever will, and the mere thought fills her with joy. </p><p>And then she pulls back. She keeps herself from lingering too long. Too long to be platonic, too long to be considered friendly.</p><p>“I’ll see you soon?” Kara asks hesitantly as she always does.</p><p>“Definitely.”</p><p>The last thing Lena sees is Kara’s beaming smile as she leaves the apartment.</p>
<hr/><p>Lena lets out a sigh of relief at the sight of Supergirl flying into the building. After yet another attack on L-Corp, she is beyond relieved to see Supergirl there to (presumably) save the day. Another week’s set of attackers have made their presence known, taking out the majority of her security and storming right into the building, leading Lena to barricade herself in her office to the best of her ability. It’s not long before the door to her office busts open, furniture flying across the room, and she sees Supergirl.</p><p>“Lena, are you okay?” Supergirl asks, walking over to her and glancing her up and down.</p><p>Nodding, Lena says, “Yes, I am, thank you for coming. I did my best to keep myself safe up here.”</p><p>Supergirl looks back to the (now broken) chairs and couch tipped over and dispersed across the office from her entrance. “I can see that. It was a valiant effort though I’m not sure that would have kept out a White Martian.”</p><p>“A White—what?”</p><p>“Never mind,” Supergirl shakes her head, continuing, “Sorry about the mess. Let me just…” </p><p>She walks over to the couch, lifting it up and returning it to its designated spot, and Lena can’t help but admire the outline of her muscles through her skin-tight suit.  Truth be told, Lena has a minor crush on Supergirl. It isn’t even a crush, she would argue, but more of an attraction. An infatuation, given that she hardly knows the woman. But Supergirl is gorgeous, heroic, strong, brave; Lena could go on and on. Their relationship is cordial at best, having only interacted in work settings and the numerous times that Supergirl has come to her rescue, so Lena is not dumb enough to think that anything could come of her crush. </p><p>Besides, dating a superhero is certainly not on her bucket list. Sleeping with a superhero, however…</p><p>“I’ll get you some new chairs,” Supergirl promises as she cleans up the wreckage, wincing at the broken pieces of metal.</p><p>“Nonsense,” Lena says, “You saved me. No need to worry about some broken furniture. Besides, it’s not like I can’t afford the replacements.”</p><p>Supergirl laughs, and the sound is music to Lena’s ears. For a moment, the thought crosses Lena’s mind that her laughter is vaguely familiar, but she doesn’t think too much of it.</p><p>“Well, I should get going,” Supergirl says, and Lena nods, walking her out to the balcony. </p><p>“Thank you, again, Supergirl,” Lena says.</p><p>Supergirl smiles, “It’s my pleasure.”</p><p>Just as she is about to take off, Lena reaches out, grabbing her arm. “Wait,” She says, “Do you mind if I just, um—”</p><p>Lena steps into her, tentatively wrapping her in a hug. Supergirl doesn’t react, and, for a moment, Lena is worried that she overstepped before Supergirl relaxes, returning the embrace. As her arms come to wrap around her back, Lena’s breath hitches.</p><p>Because, in this brief moment, Lena notices several things about Supergirl.</p><p>Her scent, the smell of her hair, her body, is too familiar. She <em> knows </em> this scent, the citrus, the vanilla, the third element that she’s never been able to identify.</p><p>The shape of their bodies, how they fit together, is too familiar. Her head rests too comfortably on Supergirl’s shoulder, her toes stretch up too comfortably to meet her height, and her arms rest too comfortably around her back, almost as if they’ve done it a hundred times before.</p><p>The feel of Supergirl, her skin, her strength, is too familiar. She is soft yet firm, both skin and muscle, and the tentativeness of her grasp around Lena’s back is one she knows intimately.</p><p>In these few seconds, Lena can’t help but notice all of these things because they are details with which she is intimately familiar. Her mind is racing at a thousand miles per minute, but she knows there is only one conclusion to this, one piece to the puzzle that she cannot believe she didn’t put together until now.</p><p>“Kara.”</p><p>She can feel Supergirl tense in her embrace, hearing her voice shaky as she says, “Danvers? Is she here?”</p><p>“I think she is, yeah,” Lena says breathlessly, tightening her grasp. Supergirl—Kara—lets out a heavy sigh, and Lena takes the sound as confirmation.</p><p>“Lena, I can explain—” She starts.</p><p>“No, don’t,” Lena cuts her off, her eyes fluttering shut as she takes in this moment, wanting to remember every bit of it. “You don’t need to say anything.”</p><p>“But I—”</p><p>“Kara,” Lena says again, and Kara stops once again. “We can talk tomorrow. We <em> will </em> talk tomorrow. I just need this moment, okay?”</p><p>She feels Kara nod into her shoulder, and Lena squeezes her one last time before she steps back, her arms returning to her sides. Her eyes lock onto Kara—Supergirl—and she sees her, really <em> sees </em>her, for what might be the first time. Lena sees her best friend standing in front of her, looking both confident and insecure at the same time, her unforgettable blue eyes shining brightly, her stance hesitant, and she once again finds herself wondering how she never realized this before.</p><p>Kara is Supergirl, and nothing has ever made more sense.</p><p>“You should probably get going, yeah?” Lena asks gently. “I’m sure there’s other crime to fight on these streets tonight.”</p><p>Kara is hesitant to leave. “If you’re sure,” She says.</p><p>Nodding, Lena says, “I am sure, I promise. We’ll talk tomorrow.”</p><p>Kara doesn’t move, and, before she can realize what she’s doing, Lena steps up to her, stretches up onto her toes, and presses a soft kiss to her cheek. She steps back quickly, instantly regretting the decision, and sees a flush come to Kara’s cheeks. Lena giggles at the sight: Supergirl, standing on her balcony, her cheeks bright red with embarrassment. She’s a sight for sore eyes, one that Lena is not taking for granted.</p><p>As Lena turns to walk away, she hears a breathless, “I’ll see you soon?”</p><p>Lena smiles as she always does at Kara’s familiar line. “Tomorrow,” She promises, watching a grin form on Kara’s face as she bends her knees and shoots off into the night sky. </p><p>Lena watches her fly away, a calm settling over her. She has no less than a million questions, concerns, doubts, and fears running through her mind, but she forces herself to take a deep breath and let them fade away for now. She has time. <em> They </em>have time. Tomorrow, and the next day, and then the next, and every day after that. And, as long as she gets to keep seeing Kara’s beaming smile and that flush on her cheeks, that’s fine with her.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments are always appreciated.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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